textproduct: Quad Cities

KEY MESSAGES

- Above normal temperatures will continue through Saturday.

- Today will see increasing low level moisture, with drizzle and fog developing late this afternoon possibly continuing into Christmas Day.

- A brief period of sharply colder weather is expected Sunday & Monday.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/

Issued at 233 AM CST Wed Dec 24 2025

Quiet conditions overnight initially favored fog formation, but increasing high clouds have helped limit radiational cooling, and given our lack of snow cover, we have not crashed beyond cross-over temperatures in many areas as of 2 AM. Thus, today will continue to focus on the advection of moisture over top our relatively cool air mass. From a broad view, this situation should generate widespread low clouds, damp conditions, and possibly dense fog in the cool season, but looking at the latest CAMs, fog formation is not as strongly favored as earlier forecasts. Still, with a warm front set up just south of the CWA today through Christmas, I think the message of damp, cloudy, and seasonally mild is still highly confident.

Moisture will push north today, from mid morning to late morning today. Thus, sunrise hours will be OK, but by around lunch, it looks gloomy and by afternoon and evening, plenty of drizzle will be going on as the warm front pushes north. Tonight, I don't see much lower level lift, but with plenty of low clouds and some fog, it could drizzling at times too. ...Essentially Rudolph's Weather...

Christmas Day looks damp and gloomy for sure, but not as much of a lock for dense fog as data showed in past model runs. Drizzle or rain looks likely again in the evening, as a weak wave of low pressure moves through our southerly counties. In addition, fog may spread in Christmas night, a problem that could linger at night until the upcoming cold front.

Highs today and Christmas day appear near 40 in the north, and in lower 50s in the south area. Overnight temperatures in the lower 30s north to lower 40s south area expected.

LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/

Issued at 233 AM CST Wed Dec 24 2025

The mild pattern is expected to confidently last through Saturday, ahead of a strong cold front and low pressure over the Great Lakes, with highs in the upper 40s to upper 50s/low 60s on track Friday and Saturday. With cloud cover continuing to be over the area in the overnight hours, lows in the mid 30s to upper 40s should be be expected Thursday night.

A progressive, but rather strong shot of cold air is expected to sweep through the upper Midwest Saturday night through Monday, with sharply colder temperatures and lows in the + single digits (we'd be well below zero if we had snow cover). Highs Sunday and Monday are expected to be in the 30s, and 20s. Though potent, this shot of cold air is already modifying through the mid part of next week. Highs returning to the upper 20s to mid 30s are expected.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/

Issued at 1131 AM CST Wed Dec 24 2025

Ceilings are variable across the area to start the TAF period with ceilings ranging from 1200 ft and MVFR at KBRL to VFR at CID, KMLI, and KDBQ. Expecting conditions to deterioriate this afternoon with widespread MVFR to IFR conditions by 00 UTC as drizzle develops from south to north across the area and continues through 06 UTC before visibilities slowly improve. IFR to LIFR ceilings are possible at all TAF sites this evening and overnight before lifting to MVFR after 12 UTC but low clouds lingering through the remainder of the TAF period. East to southeast winds this morning are forecast to become light and variable this evening before turning to the northeast after 06 UTC and increasing to 7 knots after 12 UTC on the 25th.

DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

IA...None. IL...None. MO...None.